POPCORN REVIEWSS

While growing up, some (or even most) of us have been acquainted with certain tales from Indian mythology, whose references we also witness in certain ‘fictional’ attempts on celluloid through the situations that the characters find themselves in – Bahubali (2015) is a prime example of it. So if Bhallaldeva (Rana Daggubati) was a figure lustful for power and popularity, the figure could directly be equated to Hiranyakashyap, who is the chief antagonist of Mahavatar Narsimha. In another scene when you witness a character being tasked with pushing off Prahlad (the son of Hiranyakashyap) off the cliff just because of his devotion for Lord Vishnu, largely regarded as the enemy of Hiranyakashyap, the situation resembled the Kattappa-Bahubali saga that was talked for years before the second Bahubali film was out. You see how deeply impactful our Indian mythology is?

Take any superhero from Marvel and you will find similar overlapping “traits” of popular figures from Indian Mythology (and I am purely talking about parallels in traits), a case in point being that our stories are universal. Just like the saga of Hiranyakashyap, Prahlad and Lord Vishnu, who dons the avatar of Narsimha, a half-lion and half-man to destroy the invinsible. But more than the story, I wished to discuss the character traits that directly overlap as symbolisms in the story.

One of the strongest aspects of the writing here remains the characterization. When you are introduced to Hiranyakashyap, you do get a sense of his inflated ego and arrogance along with his lust for greed and power that pits him against Lord Vishnu. It is a direct parallel to the powerful worldly figures that you would come across in recent times, who just wish to rule the world for the sake of power and popularity. It isn’t the case wherein they wish to serve their people with the power that they exhibit, it is just about centering themselves in a way to make the world them. And hence when there is a feeling of superiority, there is a direct decline of devotion, just as we see with Hiranyakashyap. A deeper dive into his character is more on an abstract level, with traits that all of us would exhibit too. The materialistic possessions and worldly attachments without looking at the bigger picture, is once again a trait that Hiranyakashyap exhibits, much like most of us today. And in a battle of good versus evil, this is a vital cog as well.

The good versus evil template is literally done to death with, but often you must notice that these stories work because of the clear demarcated moralities of the characters. And that one character is Prahlad, a symbol of righteousness who is able to distinguish between right and wrong. This character is an anti-thesis of the herd-mentality, something that we would associate closely with most folks in today’s times. The ability to question the wrong despite it being directed towards his own ‘powerful’ father is a trait that Prahlad exhibits, taking nothing at face-value. But an important trait in Prahlad is that of balance, and the balance here is in the form of his unwavering faith towards the almighty (in this case Lord Vishnu) who is the protector of the universe. He remains a symbol of divinity and resilience, even as he is subjected to atrocities with an intention of fatality (notice the elemental themes of fire, water, air and earth along the way), wherein he never wavers once from his faith, citing on how his Lord would know the best outcome for him. And this trait of his is so powerful, that it automatically has an impact on people around him, some who realise their mistake, and others who pay the price.

The recurring theme of protecting the righteousness is associated with the character of Lord Vishnu, who dons his fourth avatar of Narsimha. Narsimha is a character with the pinnacle of power, that is often restrained and used towards the protection of righteousness in the world (represented by Prahlad and his devotion towards him). It isn’t about exhibiting the power until it is absolutely necessary to eradicate the evil. But when the latter takes place, it is also with respect to retribution and not hatred, about a chance of another evolution and not just destruction, and that is what symbolizes the divine power of intervention. Where there is hate, there is no divinity, and where there is divinity, there is also righteousness. The mistake that people do is linking the same with religion, whereas religion is itself a medium to associate you with divinity (not the other way around). And the character of Narsimha is also linked to overcoming the impossible, something that all of us can strive for, even as you spot him destroying the ‘invincible’ Hiranyakashyap, not out of hatred but out of retribution (a key difference right there between both characters).

If you look close with respect to the characteristics of each of the characters, there is a pattern of evolution that you can spot – from materialism to devotion and the ultimate pinnacle of divinity. And the same is represented so well in a scene, wherein you spot Hiranyakashyap on the palm of Lord Vishnu who in turn covers the whole universe. If people can understand that they (meaning you, me and everyone) are mere specks of dust in this universe, then the evolution from materialism to the pinnacle of divinity will begin. It is always good to have a context of the bigger picture, even as the screenplay here is simple and palatable while being a terrific starter pack for introducing the children to Indian mythology.